Physical Oceanography
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Course
Introduction
Physical Oceanography explores the dynamic processes and physical properties of the worlds oceans. This course examines the movement of ocean water, including waves, tides, and currents, as well as the forces and heat exchanges that drive these motions. Students gain insight into ocean-atmosphere interactions, the structure of the ocean from the surface to the deep sea, and the methods used to observe and model oceanic phenomena. Emphasis is placed on the role of physical oceanography in global climate systems and its influence on marine environments and resources.
Recommended Textbook Essentials of Oceanography 9th Edition by
Alan P. Trujillo
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15 Chapters
676 Verified Questions
676 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Planet Earth
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are TRUE concerning the deepest part of the ocean except:
A)The bottom of the trench was visited by Piccard and Walsh in the Trieste in 1960.
B)The deepest part of the ocean is located in a trench off the coast of Japan.
C)The trench is called the Mariana Trench.
D)The depth of the trench is estimated at 12,500 meters.
E)The depth of the trench exceeds the height of Mount Everest.
Answer: D
Q2) Free oxygen in our atmosphere is important to the development and maintenance of life on Earth because oxygen:
A)combines with iron in volcanic rocks.
B)can form ozone and block some UV radiation.
C)is necessary for photosynthesis to occur.
D)reduces atmospheric temperature.
E)was very abundant in our early atmosphere.
Answer: C
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3
Chapter 2: Plate Tectonics and the Ocean Floor
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32 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of a:
A)convergent boundary (continent-continent).
B)convergent boundary (continent-oceanic).
C)convergent boundary (oceanic-oceanic).
D)divergent boundary.
E)transform fault boundary.
Answer: D
Q2) Deep-sea trenches are found at convergent plate boundaries.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Which of the following is associated with convergent plate boundaries on the seafloor?
A)crest of the mid-ocean ridge
B)deep sea trenches
C)deep focus earthquakes
D)island arcs
E)offset of the mid-ocean ridge
Answer: A
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Marine Provinces
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Sample Questions
Q1) Seamounts are the feature labeled:
A)1.
B)2.
C)3.
D)4.
E)5.
Answer: C
Q2) Directly seaward of the continental shelf is a more steeply sloping region called the: A)abyssal plain.
B)continental rise.
C)continental slope.
D)mid-ocean ridge.
E)trench.
Answer: C
Q3) Hydrothermal vents have a significant impact on ocean chemistry.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 4: Marine Sediments
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Sample Questions
Q1) The deposition of radiolarian oozes is affected by the carbonate compensation depth.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following contains silica (SiO<sub>2</sub>)?
A)coccolithophores
B)corals
C)foraminiferans
D)phosphorites
E)radiolarians
Q3) Sediments derived form preexisting rocks are called:
A)cosmogenous.
B)biogenous.
C)hydrogenous.
D)lithogenous.
E)volcagenic.
Q4) Organisms that live on the ocean floor may be responsible for keeping manganese nodules from being buried in the sediment.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: Water and Seawater
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Sample Questions
Q1) Salinity refers to all of the solid materials in seawater including dissolved and suspended substances.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The average salinity of sea water is:
A)0.35%.
B)2.0%.
C)3.5%.
D)10%.
E)25%.
Q3) Any solution with a pH of greater than 7.0 is acidic.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which of the following statements regarding pH is not true?
A)A pH of 3.0 is acidic and a pH of 10.0 is alkaline.
B)As a whole,the pH of the ocean is slightly acidic.
C)Buffers prevent large changes in the pH of a solution.
D)pH will increase in areas of rapid plant or algal growth.
E)pH relates to relative acid-base ion balance in a solution.
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Chapter 6: Air-Sea Interface
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Sample Questions
Q1) A maritime polar air mass is likely to be dry and cold.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A cold front is likely to have heavy,brief showers associated with it.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The gas(es)that is (are)increasing atmospheric concentration relative to other gases in the atmosphere annually is (are):
A)carbon dioxide.
B)chlorofluorocarbons.
C)methane.
D)nitrous oxide.
E)ozone.
Q4) Winds blowing from the north in the southern hemisphere will appear to :
A)be deflected toward the east.
B)be deflected toward the west.
C)circulate counterclockwise.
D)circulate clockwise.
E)travel in a straight line.
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Chapter 7: Ocean Circulation
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Sample Questions
Q1) Identify the mismatched pair.
A)Agulhas Current,West Australia Current
B)Brazil Current ,Benguela Current
C)Canary Current,Gulf Stream
D)Kuroshio Current,California Current
E)Labrador Current,Humboldt Current
Q2) Which of the following is a western boundary current?
A)Benguela Current
B)Brazil Current
C)Canary Current
D)California Current
E)Peru Current
Q3) Compared to a western boundary current,which of the following statements is true for an eastern boundary current?
A)Eastern boundary currents are broad and deep.
B)Eastern boundary currents are broad and slow.
C)Eastern boundary currents are deep and swift.
D)Eastern boundary currents are narrow and deep.
E)Eastern boundary currents are shallow and swift.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Waves and Water Dynamics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following from earliest to latest represents the typical wave formation?
A)sea,surf,swell
B)sea,swell,surf
C)surf,swell,sea
D)surf,sea,swell
E)swell,sea,surf
Q2) Waves that are breaking along the shore and are forming a curling crest over an air pocket are called:
A)gravity waves.
B)plunging breakers.
C)spilling breakers.
D)surf.
E)swells.
Q3) Capillary and gravity waves are named for the:
A)dominant restoring force.
B)force that creates them.
C)rate at which they travel.
D)wave dispersion.
E)wave refraction pattern they create.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Tides
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the United States one can find semidiurnal tides along the:
A)Atlantic coast.
B)Gulf of Alaska.
C)Gulf of Mexico coast.
D)Florida Keys.
E)Pacific coast.
Q2) There is no horizontal tide-generating force on Earth at points directly below and opposite the Moon.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The tide-generating force is inversely proportional to the cube of the distance.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The plane through the ellipse that marks the revolution of the Earth around the Sun is called the ecliptic.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Tides are much greater during apogee than during perigee.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: The Coast: Beaches and Shoreline Processes
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Sample Questions
Q1) The backshore is found between the normal high tide mark and the coastline.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Submergent coasts might have all of the following characteristics except:
A)drowned beaches.
B)drowned river delta.
C)marine terraces.
D)river mouths found below sea level.
E)submerged dune topography.
Q3) Eustatic changes in sea level might include:
A)increase glacial and sea ice melting due to the global warming.
B)rise in sea level due to a large weight of glacier on a continental mass.
C)sinking of the crust due to large increases in sediment load.
D)uplift related to earthquake activity..
E)volcanic activity resulting in the formation of new continental crust .
Q4) A summer beach typically has more sediment on it than a winter beach.
A)True
B)False
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Page 12
Chapter 11: The Coastal Oceans
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Sample Questions
Q1) Lagoons that form behind barrier islands are examples of:
A)bar-built estuaries.
B)coastal plain estuaries.
C)fjords.
D)salt wedge estuaries.
E)tectonic estuaries.
Q2) Primary sewage treatment involves the removal of inorganic nutrients from the liquid effluent.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The biological response level that is impacted for the longest time period by pollutants in the marine environment is the:
A)biochemical-cellular level.
B)community dynamics and structure level.
C)organismal level.
D)population dynamics level.
E)trophic level.
Q4) Laguna Madre is a classic coastal plain estuary.
A)True
B)False
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Marine Life and the Marine Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) Phytoplankton are small in size as a result of predation pressure.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The color pattern in which marine organisms are light on the bottom and dark on the top of their bodies camouflaging them against the water-air interface is:
A)countershading.
B)cryptic coloration.
C)defensive coloration.
D)disruptive coloration.
E)warning coloration.
Q3) Zonation of benthic organisms includes all of the following except the: A)abyssal zone.
B)bathyl zone.
C)hadal zone.
D)neritic zone.
E)subtidal zone.
Q4) The majority of marine species are pelagic.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: Biological Productivity and Energy Transfer
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Sample Questions
Q1) The term-by catch refers to:
A)krill and other shellfish.
B)non-target species that are caught along with commercial species.
C)species caught as part of traditional fisheries.
D)species harvested for industrial purposes.
E)species raised in aquaculture settings.
Q2) Many of the organisms responsible for toxic red tides and paralytic shellfish poisoning belong to the Division:
A)Bacillariophyta.
B)Chlorophyta.
C)Phaeophyta.
D)Pyrrophyta.
E)Rhodophyta.
Q3) Overproduction of organic matter resulting in anoxic conditions is attributed to: A)autotrophication.
B)eutrophication.
C)net primary productivity.
D)photoperiodicity.
E)phototropism.
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Page 15
Chapter 14: Animals of the Pelagic Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) The California gray whale is unusual because it stirs up bottom sediment in order to feed.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Identify the mismatched pair.
A)dolphin -Cetacea
B)dugong - Sirenia
C)manatee - Cetacea
D)sea otter - Carnivora
E)walrus - Pinnipedia
Q3) Which set of fins is used for turning and breaking?
A)anal and caudal
B)anal and dorsal
C)caudal and dorsal
D)caudal and pelvic
E)pectoral and pelvic
Q4) Strategies for staying afloat in pelagic environments include air bladder,increased body fat,and increased density.
A)True
B)False
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Animals of the Benthic Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) Hydrocarbon seeps have been discovered :
A)along the Galapagos Ridge.
B)along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
C)in the Gulf of California.
D)in the Gulf of Mexico.
E)in the Indian Ocean.
Q2) The supralittoral zone of the rocky shore is the area between the highest high tide and the lowest low tide.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Subduction zone seeps support communities from:
A)hydrocarbon-rich waters.
B)hydrothermal waters.
C)inorganic nutrient rich waters.
D)oxygen-rich waters.
E)sulfur and methane-rich sedimentary waters.
Q4) Coral reefs contain more algal biomass than animal biomass.
A)True
B)False
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